Katy Perry Video Featuring Elmo Banned from Sesame Street

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Did you hear about this Katy Perry “Hot and Cold” video she did for Sesame Street that the producers have pulled because of backlash from You Tube viewers? Take a look for yourself….

As a mother of of a four and two year old I can see where the parents of those upset are coming from. The skimpy tinkerbell dress up outfit is cut quite low in the bust and doesn’t always support her well when she is running around chasing Elmo. That being said, I think the video is quite adorable and catchy, even if her acting is a bit cheesy at times.

The video was leaked on You Tube before it aired and in light of outraged parents the producers are not going to air it on Sesame Street. Because I highly doubt Katy dressed herself, it is a major #fail on the part of the show for nobody to notice that it was inappropriate for the audience and some parents might be offended. It would be a shame for it to never air on the show so I hope that Katy will decide to come back for another run at it in different attire.

Would I let my kids watch it?

Yes. To be honest, they catch more glimpses of my cleavage around the house or in a bathing suit and I don’t think they would think much of seeing Katy’s. It looks like just another part of a woman’s anatomy to my boys and because they are so young they don’t think sexually about it. I think they’d be paying more attention to what they are doing and the music versus what Katy is wearing (or lack thereof).

Why are we so afraid of a woman’s breasts? It reminds me of the awkward feelings I would occasionally get while breastfeeding in public even though I was covered up. Why do they always have to be thought of in a sexual nature?

I’m dying to hear your thoughts on this scandal. Does the video offend you? Would you let your children watch it?

38 Comments

  1. My problem is Katy’s song “UR so gay”. Would Sesame Street let a pop star sing with Elmo if they had a song called “UR so Italian” or “UR so Jewish”? Throwing around the words “gay” and “retarded” is as bad as a racial slur.
    As for her clothes, yes they were pretty low cut and I think wardrobe could have come up with something equally cute but less revealing, but that wasn’t as big of an issue to me as WHO was singing the song.

  2. I watched this with my son on youtube before they went public with the cancellation thing, and I was pretty surprised that they were going to air this! I do expect Sesame Street to be totally family friendly and I really didn’t think this was appropriate for their audience. Just because our kids see it other places doesn’t mean we should lower our standards of what is ok for our kids.

    1. Yikes! You are correct, this is very much like a real tinkerbell costume! Wowsa. Imagine if they made the skirt as short as tink’s?

  3. Do you let your children watch figure skating or Tinkerbell? Well, Katy Perry is essentially wearing a figure skating or fairy costume and no one seems to be up in arms about those outfits. We put our kids into skating, ballet or swimming lessons without batting an eye to the costumes they will be wearing and buy fairy costumes for them to wear so why has this turned into a big deal? And like many have said, we take our children to the beach or swimming pool and see a LOT more skin & cleavage than Katy was showing. It’s not like Katy was wearing a leather bustier and fishnets, LOL!

    I find it sad that the world is coming to this. So many double standards! I think this is like anything, no one would have even noticed if the media hadn’t blown it completely out of proportion. I feel bad for Katy Perry….

  4. I agree, my kids have seen me breast feed their siblings for years. As far as they’re concerned, breasts are purely functional anyway. And her breasts are not visible, for the most part. No more than a swimsuit or “princess” dress. I like the video and I think its cute. Its too bad…

  5. I watched it with my 1 and 3 year old boy’s . They loved it and my 1 year old was laughing and singing along with it. They wanted me to keep playing it over and over. I don’t see the issue. She is wearing what looks like a figure skating costume. I think many people are very quick to jump on every little thing nowadays.

    I also think because of Katy Perry’s history (being scantily clad) and her music videos people would of found something wrong with her on sesame street regardless.

  6. I personally don’t like Katy Perry, but she did a good job on the skit and it was cute. All they need to do is change the costume and it wouldn’t have such a hollapalooza about it. I have 3 sons 5 & under and do my best to make my cleavage covered all the time, even while being a bum at home. I want my boys to respect women in every way. Pornography is a very dangerous thing these days and outfits like this are just the beginnings of the curiosity to start such an addiction. So if it had been aired I would have to boycott Sesame Street forever because their values have disappeared in my mind. When my boys do notice trampy dressers I have to explain to them how inappropriate it is and that the body should always be covered. Dressing like that is only a ploy for attention and lack of self worth. Yes I understand it’s her syle but I have never seen anyone dress llike that on Sesame Street. Most people have the common sense to know who their audience is. Thank goodness I don’t have daughters to want to dress like that, but it’s just as much of a battle with boys. By the way I took 101 dalmations away because Cruella DeVil said Idiot way too much. I wish society had the old fashioned outlook on life like they use to, but, sadly, just about everything seems to fly as acceptable these days.

  7. I’m not going to say anything that anyone else hasn’t already touched on. My biggest surprise is that people are upset with the bouncing flesh. Would we have been as offended if someone heavier had some bouncing arm flab or belly flab in a skit? She really just needed a supportive bra, didn’t she?

  8. Well, I think the issue comes in that we’re all being desensitized to this kind of “attire” at an earlier and earlier age. What if she were only in a string bikini or some Daisy Dukes with her butt cheeks hanging out? What if, what if? It’s just pushing it at such an early age is ridiculous. Boys are being bombarded about what girls/teens/women “should” look like and girls are being dumped on about how they look. To start at a preschool or toddler age of putting these images into their minds just isn’t a healthy thing. No, a 2 yr old might not remember what Katy Perry is wearing, but it’s the beginning of the first images that 2 yr old is having in their head.

  9. I thought the video was very cute and although my kids are older, I wouldn’t have a problem letting them watch it if they were small. I agree that breasts are always thought of in a sexual way. It wound not bother me in the least to see a woman breast feeding a baby in a restaurant, park, event, etc. because I just don’t think of them that way.

  10. Actually, the new Tinkerbell got a make-over, as Disney is trying to make her more appropriate for small children to see. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://content8.flixster.com/photo/12/29/01/12290110_gal.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.flixster.com/news/2009/10/14/tinkerbell-makeover&h=359&w=461&sz=17&tbnid=prehowwAPnM0ZM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=128&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtinkerbell%2Bmakeover&zoom=1&q=tinkerbell+makeover&hl=en&usg=__CRSJrUbD54RCuA5P3_gbX8ifmZU=&sa=X&ei=lfOdTLq5PIKClAeUt_XrAg&ved=0CDIQ9QEwAw

    Though I have no problem with children seeing me nurse my babies, or knowing what the body is like / for, I do think a show aimed at young (2-4) children should be clean enough that any parent could wash the dishes while it played and not worry that what their children see is going to be PG or higher. I mean, I believe sex is natural, too, but I don’t play X rated shows for my kindergartner.

  11. You can’t compare this video to BFing and what kids might see in that scenario. My first isn’t yet born, but I am definitely not okay with this. And for anyone that thinks a little boy doesn’t really notice, maybe that’s because they just haven’t vocalized it. My high functioning autistic brother, when he was 4, asked me – ME – “what are those round things on ladies?” Our mom was present, but he chose to ask me. If they wouldn’t see me dress in garbage, there’s no reason why they should be allowed to see actors dressed in garbage. At any age, so long as they’re under our roof. As for older kids/teenagers, there’s a difference between knowing its out there, and letting it into our home.

  12. Okay call me prude, I’ll own it. Totally inappropriate. Of course we can see people dressed like this just walking down the street, but we can choose to not look or tell our children, this is not appropriate attire. What happened to our morals and values. They are deminshing little by little, till there will be nothing left. You may say it is just a dress now, but which envelope will be the next to push?

    What have we been reduced to. Accepting a scantly dress young lady dancing around with a puppet, meant for very young children. We need to set standards for our children. For our daughters…we don’t have to dress provocatively to get attention. People will like us for our inner beauty and how we treat them with love. The boys…we respect women and they are not just eye candy, but gifts from God. We need to teach our children what is acceptable and appropriate, and for Sesame Street to cross that boundary makes me sad. But I say, let’s forgive and have Katy re-record it, with something more appropriate. I love Katy’s bubbly personality and I think appropriately dressed, she would be a great guest on Sesame Street.

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